The memo included an anonymous letter detailing the Banditos wrongdoings. A second investigation into the Kennedy Hall incident initiated by Sheriff Villanueva resulted in the termination of Deputies Gregory Rodriguez, David Silverio, and Sergeant Michael Hernandez, all members of the Banditos. Privacy Policy. Deputies Alfred Gonzalez, Oscar Escobedo, Ariela Lemus, Art Hernandez, Mario Contreras, David Casas, Louis Granados, and Benjamin Zaredini filed an internal complaint with Los Angeles County in March of 2019. Gregory Rodriguez was charged with perjury by the office of then District Attorney Jackie Lacey for lying in his report. The other plaintiff deputies would provide assistance, despite the fact they would have to go outside of their respective areas of service. She also told Lopez she would contact her on August 11 with a work schedule, which Lopez received. Many of those men were also members of the Banditos. It was never used on the department at all. In late December 2011, an on-duty Lopez reported to a priority call. This method of punishment is known as freeway therapy. Zaredinis transfer was allegedly denied in order to initiate another investigation into him for being stern with the trainee of Regulators associate Deputy Karla Sepulveda, resulting in a two-day suspension. Former Undersheriff Ray Leyva stated in a deposition that Villanueva made a settlement with Deputy Gregory Rodriguez, a Bandito, shortly after Rodriguez was involved in the attack at Kennedy Hall. Lopez was also subjected to intimidation: Deputy Benjamin Zaredini once followed Lopez into the garage area at the East LA station. Escobedo was unable to work for a week afterwards, according to the suit. According to a complaint, Lopez wasnt given adequate time to prepare administrative paperwork, supervisors at the East LA station refused to sign off on her reports, and detectives didnt file or investigate her cases. Based on the information that I have, that is incorrect. Lopez spoke with Sergeant Betty Lascono, who placed her on the schedule to return to work the following day. Theyve been called "gangs" because they wear matching tattoos, operate in secrecy, and have initiation rituals. Commander Ernie Chavez has admitted Villanueva did not transfer any Banditos, nor ask Chavez to investigate. Just a few days later she was summoned into the Watch Commanders Office by Sergeants Hish and Florence, who were not her supervisors. Youve got people who rigged internal affairs bureau investigations, Miller told LAist. The station has been home to several deputy gangs, including the Little Devils, Cavemen, and newest addition, the Banditos. Terms of Use Chavez said he left East L.A. station in November 2019 after his promotion to commander. . Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. Eric Valdez and Veronica De La Rosa were promoted to the rank of sergeant, which they held as recently as 2019. Deputies Alfred Gonzalez, Oscar Escobedo, Ariela Lemus, Art Hernandez, Mario Contreras, David Casas, Louis Granados, and Benjamin Zaredini, the latter of whom was previously accused of being a Bandito, claim to have suffered at the hands of the gang for the past four years. 3:20 p.m.: This article was updated to note that the Sheriff's Dept. Did you investigate the Banditos? asked Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the eight deputies, according to a transcript of the deposition excerpts. In a conversation with LAist, the new sheriff acknowledges that, as an outsider, "I have my work cut out for me" in winning the support of the department's rank-and-file. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. One of the deputies who filed the lawsuit said federal agents interviewed him but declined to provide details. The Countys deputy gangs also subjected him to an experience that left him traumatized. When Sheriff Villanueva took over the department in December of 2018, he made it a priority to reinstate former employees with ties to deputy gangs, including Undersheriff Murakami and Caren Carl Mandoyan, a Grim Reaper. Villanueva has said he transferred 36 people out and brought a new captain, Ernie Chavez, to the helm of the station to quell the Banditos problem. Heres everything you need to know about coyotes in Los Angeles County. Bob Gregory, 62, went missing the same day as Sands. The IG's report on a deputy group Today, the station is dominated Banditos. He says that Lopez left California altogether in an attempt to leave the trauma behind. Rosa Gonzalez became the latest target of the Banditos abuses in December 2011, shortly after she arrived at the East LA Station. Instead, it issued this statement: Sheriff Alex Villanueva was the first sheriff in the history of LASD to implement a strict policy prohibiting cliques and sub-cultures, and he has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to transparency and accountability.. On April 10, 2013, Lopez found a dead rat underneath the drivers side door of her vehicle. The lawsuit contends that even with the new leadership, the Banditos still effectively run the East L.A. station and that it remains a hostile workplace. Decisions such as station fundraisers and events must be roundtabled at the home of Noel Crook Lopez or Marc Elizondo. We had a captain that was gracious enough to take her in [his unit] and she just hid, says Gonzalezs attorney, Gregory Smith. . Although the plaintiffs were overwhelmed with calls, they were also denied backup by Munoz, Silverio, Rodriguez, Hector Soto Saavedra, Braulio Robledo, Jonathan Rojas, Nikolis Perez, Juan Sanchez, Aaron Abellano, Silvano Garcia, Claudia Perez, Vincent Moran, Edelmira Parra, Andrea Villa, and Eldimerra Parra. The FBI Lemus, Contreras, Hernandez, and Escobedo were told they could move to another gang-dominated station, or a station far from their homes. Her doctor placed her on medical leave again. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has downplayed the issue, saying problems associated with the groups are often the result of drunken deputies getting into fights and taking issue with those who refer to them as deputy gangs. Last month, Villanueva sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Board of Supervisors, demanding that they and others stop using the phrase. At the end of the call he followed Lopez to her car. Los Banditos East LA Station has been a notorious LASD gang hub for decades, but not every deputy is welcome. Art Hernandezs lawsuit charges that there is a video which shows members of the Banditos gathered at the station following the fight, preparing a cover story together. Just a few months later, Deputy Gregory Rodriguez made one final attempt to recruit Deputy Mario Contreras to the gang. However, he and Deputy Louis Granados reported harassment that they had observed at the hands of Banditos to Captain (then Lieutenant) Richard Mejia. What are you going to do? On December 23, 2011, Deputy Eduardo Sanchez, another Banditos associate, swore at Lopez and demanded that she meet up with him. There were sexual implications to his request and she told him that she would not meet up with him alone. What has previously been known about the groups has often been stitched together from allegations and testimony in lawsuits. "Other taxes take the form of sexual favors from female deputies," according to the complaint. She attempted to contact Romero about the status of her transfer request, but he was allegedly unavailable. The next evening, LASD held a department-sponsored party at Kennedy Hall. The Banditos are said to operate out of the sheriffs East L.A. station, and sport tattoos of gun-wielding skeletons wearing sombreros. Despite ongoing litigation related to the Banditos, the gang appears confident that they can operate with impunity, and multiply. The lawsuit estimates 15-20% of the department's more than 9,000 sworn personnel are members of these cliques. Deputy Christopher Wargo drove to the location and blocked Lopezs patrol car so she could not move and ordered her out of the vehicle. His body was recovered near Mount Islip. The expanded lawsuit comes amid increasing scrutiny of how Villanueva, who began his career at the East L.A. Station, has addressed the longstanding problem of deputy subgroups. On March 26, 2012, Deputy Zaredini ran Lopezs vehicle off the road. In this role, the FTOs are able to abuse their trainees without any accountability. In December 2018, Banditos "secretly removed the bullets from Deputy Zaredini's shotgun," the lawsuit claims. Gray filed a lawsuit against the County, and accepted a settlement of $549,000, which taxpayers financed. In screenshots of the messages obtained by The Times, others joke about evidence, advising each other to get rid of it and burn it., The inspector generals report last year said theres substantial evidence that the Banditos are gang-like and their influence has resulted in favoritism, sexism, racism and violence.. A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy associated with a gang-like group of deputies with matching tattoos testified that he has attended about seven inking parties.. The group embraces the tradition of violence passed down by the gangs that came before them and turns on anyone who questions them. Those 36 individuals would simply reflect general transfers, Chavez responded. The Cavemen preceded the Banditos at the East L.A. Station. Aceituno recently did the same thing again and received no consequences from East LA Captain Richard Mejia, according to the complaint. LASD does not appear to have disciplined anyone for the text exchange. into that and other alleged cliques within the department. One of the new named defendants is Sheriff Alex Villanuevas chief of security, and another is his driver, according to Miller. Villanueva has generally downplayed the problem, saying cliques are nothing more than "hazing run amok" and "intergenerational rivalry. During the course of the investigations, the complaint alleges multiple Banditos members and associates lied about their knowledge of the gang and said they did not see the attacks. She was also regularly sent on calls with just a few minutes left on her shift. A spokesperson for the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which represents some of the defendants, declined to comment until he saw the new court documents. Once she rejected them, they retaliated against her. In November 2011, Deputy Andrew Hernandez, a Banditos associate, leered at Lopezs breasts in the hallway as she was leaving the womens locker room. The Sheriffs Department cited pending litigation and declined to comment other than to say Villanueva has done more to address organizational culture issues than all of his predecessors combined.. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture" beyond the Banditos. The Banditos initially attempted to recruit some of the plaintiffs. Soon afterwards, Zaredini was removed as an FTO and lost his bonus pay. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the County in April 2016. SEE MORE OF OUR COVERAGE ON LA'S DEPUTY GANGS: Our news is free on LAist. However, the claim states the memo only focused on Munozs harassment and intentionally downplayed the role of the gang in the stations operation. Orange says that Gray told himhe was beaten by several deputies. He met his wife and the mother of his children in LA. It was filed on behalf of eight deputies who accused a group of colleagues of being members of a gang that violated the civil rights of deputies who did not support them with a campaign of harassment and physical attacks. He said he did not know how many deputies were identified as having tattoos and said the name Executioners was coined by an attorney. Im not bothering anybody. Zaredini retroactively received the bonus pay, but was denied a promotion by Captain Chavez and Undersheriff Timothy Murakami. He slammed his hands on the side of the vehicle and said, What the fuck is wrong with you? , and previously named only four former deputies and Los Angeles County. However Deputy Brian Goodwin, Commander Chris Blasnek, and Commander James Wolak rigged the investigation to support a seven-day suspension of Zaredini, according to the lawsuit. Mejia opened an inquiry into Munoz and reported it to Lieutenant Eric Smitson and Captain Chris Perez. And that was on purpose because they had failed in their job to lead the station.. At the time, then-interim Sheriff John Scott announced he would share the results of an investigation into claims of bullying by the Banditos, yet the probe has Sheriff Villanueva Just Brought It Back, LA Sheriff Watchdog: The First Amendment Shouldn't Shield Deputy Cliques, Tattoos From Scrutiny. 'Thank goodness that were in the era of videos,' said the family attorney as they file a federal civil rights lawsuit, In a memo, Chief Michel Moore said extremist groups have hijacked the use of the Thin Blue Line Flag to symbolize their undemocratic, racist, and bigoted views.. The gang also denied Zaredini and Lemus backup. Community members speak out at a town hall in East Los Angeles on July 10, protesting the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments handling of the Banditos, an Granados and Zaredini both suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle, according to the complaint. The lawsuit claims the department is "permeated by criminal gang culture.". They have been broken up in accordance to the law, and constitutionally permissibly, he said. Instead plaintiffs Oscar Escobedo, Art Hernandez, Mario Contreras, and Ariela Lemus were disciplined for charges stemming from the party at Kennedy Hall, effectively punishing them for being assaulted. Lopez attempted to come back to work just over a month later, but was met with the same harassment as before. April Valentine died at Centinela Hospital. In this latest filing, the plaintiffs have identified 17 additional alleged associates of the Banditos by name: Undersheriff Timothy Murakami (a tattooed Caveman), Sergeant Hugo Reynaga, Edmundo Torres, Hugo Ramos, Mario Castro, Manny Navarro, Nikki Hanamaki, Vincent Choi, James Wolack, Chris Blasnek, Albert Maldonado, Leo Sanchez, Elizabeth Aguilera, Luis Valle, Bobby Denham, and Anthony Rivera. opened an investigation Other new Latino deputies have faced similar treatment court documents allege Bandito member Jose Aceituno shoulder checked another employee inside the East LA station. Rodriguez was discharged from the department as a result of the charges, but later was given his job back and returned to the department. The department did not respond to LAist's inquiry as to whether the policy has been formally adopted. WebThe East Los Angeles Sheriffs station has the most documented history of deputy gangs. Gonzalez passed the exam, and Smith says she is currently a Patrol Sergeant. On social media, the deputies have been mocked as rats.. In May 2019, Contreras was denied backup by Deputies Nikolis Perez and Jonathan Rojas, both Banditos. Escobedo and Hernandez were brutally beaten and went to the emergency room for treatment. The Banditos are a group of nearly 100 deputies who wear matching tattoos of a skeleton with a thick mustache, sombrero, pistol and bandolier, according to the suit. The inspector generals new figures add to a growing body of information about the secretive groups, which have existed in the Sheriffs Department for decades. In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, the Sheriffs Department said Huntsmans letter failed to provide any actual evidence or new information and noted that the agency has provided the inspector general with all legally obtainable information requested., This is another irresponsible attempt from Mr. Huntsman to discredit the organization, through omission and misrepresentation, the department said. Members have gang nicknames and use slang like ese and homes when speaking with each other. FTO Hernandez brought the fake request to Sergeant Jennifer Barsh, who ordered Lopez back to the station. Some of these goups have been accused of violence and harassment of both residents and colleagues. Vincent Miller, an attorney for the whistleblower deputies, says that the gang was looking for Gonzalez, but didnt hesitate to beat up other deputies as well, including: Deputies Jose Fuentes, Art Hernandez, Oscar Escobedo, and David Casas. Subgroups? LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman has accused Sheriff Alex Villanueva of promoting a code of silence'' around secret societies within his department, but Villanueva calls the IG's actions purely politically driven and an attempt to undermine the department.''. He was a nuclear physics major in college and relocated to Los Angeles to work on some construction projects. In 2014, Gonzalez took the exam to become a Field Training Officer, and in July of that year, Master Field Training Officer Angelica Estrada assigned Gonzalez to be a mentor to new deputies. READ NEXT: The Pink Hand, Big Listo, and Crook. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. Huntsman told The Times that about a third of the 41 deputies on his list admitted that they had tattoos or belonged to the groups; the rest were identified by other sworn personnel in statements to sheriffs investigators. The Bandidos emblem is a skeleton with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache holding a smoking revolver. And any time youre a Black man, somebody calling you a monkey, in my book, thats racism, Orange tells Knock LA. The complaint alleges that the Banditos have controlled scheduling, assignments, and promotions at the East Los Angeles Station until relatively recently. Los Angeles Countys top watchdog says in a report released Monday that substantial evidence exists that a secretive group of tattooed deputies at the East L.A. . On August 8, 2013, Lopez was taken off of disability leave and cleared to return to work. The Banditos control the East Los Angeles station "like inmates running a prison yard," the lawsuit alleges. did not have an immediate response. It says this has happened "dozens" of times over the last three years. The Banditos logo (Courtesy of Vincent Miller). ", Villanueva did Saavedra also attempted to have Gonzalez investigated for wrongfully sitting in a car with a victim, a claim that the complaint alleges to be completely fabricated. Pushed him up against the police car. is investigating the Banditos LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. The lawsuit also alleges that the plaintiff deputies have been continually harassed through the filing of the amendment. The Banditos only recruit young Latino deputies, said the plaintiff who spoke to LAist. Rosa Gonzalez, a deputy who later sued the station, said under oath that she heard Lopez referred to as The Glob.. Villanueva told ABC7 on Tuesday, May 24, that the hearing was a political stunt that allowed witnesses to testify without cross-examination. In the face of a drier future, that iconic piece of Americana is on its way out in Southern California. 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